Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek is hosting a Spring Thank-You Lunch for campus employees from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at Thompson-Boling Arena. UT employees who responded to the last employee engagement survey asked for more opportunities to see and hear directly from their campus or institute leader. A casual lunch to wrap up the semester will be served buffet style on the ground level of the arena. Employees may RSVP online.

The final open office hours session with Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek for this academic year will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 24. Chancellor Cheek began holding open office hours last fall to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to share ideas, thoughts, and questions. If you would like to meet with the chancellor during office hours, please send an e-mail with your request to chancellor@utk.edu by Thursday, April 17.

As part of the university’s ongoing mission to be a more work-friendly campus, Chancellor Cheek plans to regularly set aside office hours to meet with faculty and staff. The first two dates for scheduled office hours are November 19 and December 10. To schedule a time to meet with the chancellor, send an e-mail with your request to chancellor@utk.edu by the close of business on November 15 for the first session or December 5 for the second session.

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek has joined 193 other US university leaders in signing a letter that urges President Barack Obama and members of Congress to close an “innovation deficit” by improving funding for scientific research and education. “At UT, we are doing great research that impacts people’s lives—but we could be doing so much more,” Cheek said. “Additional funding for research is directly linked to problem solving and job creation.”

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek is inviting all UT students to join him for a late-night pancake supper on Wednesday, April 24. The event begins at 9:00 p.m. on the second floor of Hodges Library. It will continue until 10:30 p.m. or until the food runs out, whichever comes first. Cheek and the vice chancellors will be serving pancakes and toppings, bacon and sausage, and orange juice. Everything is free.

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek has received a top alumni award from Texas A&M University. He was given the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award Saturday at his alma mater in College Station, Texas. Cheek, a 1969 graduate of Texas A&M, was lauded for his mission to make UT a Top 25 public research university, citing record total research expenditures in 2012.

In February 2011, Chancellor Cheek challenged the campus community to work together to reduce our energy consumption. The Chancellor’s Challenge is now over, and the results are in. The campus has reduced electricity use by one-kilowatt hour per square foot over this past year. We have also saved more than $900,000 in electricity costs.

Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek is now on the board of directors of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the nation’s oldest, and one of its leading, higher education associations. He also has been appointed chairman of APLU’s Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources and a member of its Energy Forum.